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Dedication
The Rite of Dedication is the second of the three Formation Rites undertaken by magical traditionalists who choose to follow a spiritual path involving service to and worship of Lady Magic. Through Dedication, the participant confirms their intent to live their life as a Child of Magic, seeking to follow Her teachings and will and endeavoring to uphold Her traditions. Unlike Presentation, which in most cases must be completed by a mage's 17th birthday, Dedication has no firm timing requirements; it can be undertaken at any point once the prospective Dedicant is sufficiently mentally and spiritually mature to make such a serious lifelong commitment. Typical timing for the Rite of Dedication can vary widely. Among those raised in traditional magical families it is fairly common for Dedication to take place around age 11, but for children raised either by non-magical parents or by magical parents who don't adhere to traditional magical spiritual practices it is more common to undertake Dedication sometime between the third year of magical schooling and shortly after graduation, approximately ages 13-18. The Rite of Dedication is unique among magical rituals in that it cannot neatly be categorized as either a group ritual or an individual one. It must be done with the participation of a group, yet the only person whose magic is actively used for the ritual is the Dedicant themselves. Participants The Dedication Rite requires many participants: the Dedicant, the Sponsor, and the Witnesses. Dedicant The Dedicant ''is the person going through Dedication. They will be the only one whose magic is actively used for the ritual. The Dedicant is required to have undergone Presentation and must have undertaken sufficient education on Magical spirituality to enable them to make an informed decision to go through the Rite. The Dedicant must have perform the ritual in a sound mental state and without any undue coercion (such as threats, blackmail, or magical methods of behavior modification). The requirement to be of sound mind during the ritual precludes the recreational use of any mind-altering substances within close proximity to the time of the Dedication but does not call for abstaining from continuing any prescribed course of mental health treatment; in fact, medically necessary treatments for mental health should be actively adhered to in order to ensure a sound and stable state of mind. Sponsor The ''Sponsor is the person who leads the Dedicant through the ritual. This person must have undergone all three of the Formation Rites. Sponsoring someone for Dedication is making a solemn commitment to be a source of spiritual guidance and mentorship for the Dedicant; typically, the Sponsor will have also been among those who helped to educate the Dedicant about matters of magical spirituality along the path to Dedication as well. The sponsor should preferably be a parent of the Dedicant. Traditionally it is the parent of the opposite gender if possible, although this is mere convention and not a requirement. If a parent’s participation is impossible because there is no available or willing magical parent, the witch or wizard performing the Dedication will ask another to speak for them in the role of sponsor. In such cases, the responsibility of a Sponsor to their Foster Dedicant is analogous to a blend of a godparent and a foster parent; the Sponsor has primary responsibility for the spiritual health of their Foster Dedicant and gains some degree of parental authority, at least in a magical context. Witnesses The remaining participants in the Dedication rite are the witnesses. These individuals should be drawn from the Dedicant's social circle, or that of their family, as the primary purpose of the witnesses is to represent a community of mages welcoming the Dedicant to become one of their number. A minimum of seven witnesses is ideal, although as few as three should suffice. It has become a social convention that the first Dedication one attends is one's own, so in practice all participants tend to be individuals who have already been Presented and Dedicated. While this is not technically required and people who have not undergone Dedication may attend a Dedication Rite as a participant, such individuals do not technically count as witnesses and so cannot make up part of the required number. Preparation An appropriate date should be selected for the Rite. The best timing for the Dedication Rite is on or near a new moon (ideally within 3 days on either side) due to the correspondence of new moons with times of beginning and transition. Dates with significant negative connotations for the Dedicant or their social circle, such as anniversaries of tragic events or deaths of beloved relatives, are best avoided. Dedications should ideally take place near either sunrise or sunset on whichever day is selected. If the Dedicant is known to be with child, the first trimester of the pregnancy is by far the best time for the Rite to occur, and it should only be attempted within the third trimester if the Dedicant's Healer concurs that the timing would be safe. In the three days leading up to the Rite, the Dedicant must abstain from any recreational use of psychoactive substances and from taking intoxicating quantities of alcohol; all participants in the ritual must abstain from these on the day the Rite is to occur. On the day of the Rite, the Dedicant should spend significant time in meditation or other quiet and contemplative activities which allow for deep connection with their magic. Immediately prior to the ritual, the Dedicant should take a cleansing bath, assisted as necessary by close friends or family. Except for certain special cases (generally, the direct family line of a confirmed Champion of Magic or a prospective Champion themselves, or families who incorporate traditions of non-human magical ancestors) the Dedicant should dress in white or red robes and participants other than the Dedicant should wear black or green. The Champion, prospective Champion, or a member their direct line in good standing has the additional options of purple, gold, and silver, while Dedicants whose family traditions include honoring non-human magical ancestors may have their own requirements. The Dedication Rite should be conducted outside if at all possible. Witnesses/participants other than the Dedicant and Sponsor should arrange themselves in a loose circle, leaving space at the Northern quarter for the Sponsor and Dedicant to fill in later. Inside the circle, there should be an alter - most traditionally, made of stone, but other materials are fine as well - on which there should be one red candle near the center and two white candles on either side of the red. There should also be a ritual knife and either a needle or a matchstick and the Dedicant's wand. The white candles should be inscribed with runes representing knowledge, intuition, inspiration, and Magic, while the red candle should be inscribed with runes representing the Dedicant and the concepts of devotion and commitment. The white candles should be lit prior to the Sponsor leading the Dedicant to the ritual space. A circle is not formally cast for this ritual, nor are runes or Magic invoked. That would be rather presumptuous since the only person whose magic will be used is specifically pledging service to Magic. Also, the typical performer of this ritual is not yet magically mature, and no performer of this ritual is experienced at ritual magic, so they should not be attempting to invoke Magic in quantities sufficient to cover a group-sized ritual circle. Ritual Dedicant: '''I, name1, blessed to be an acknowledged son/daughter/child2 of Magic, chosen to bear the precious gift by right of blood and 3 by the will of the Mother do this day declare my intention to serve and honor that which is my birthright. '''Sponsor: My child, do you know what it is you swear? Dedicant: I have chosen to dedicate myself to the service of Mother Magic, as is the right and the rightful role of all of her children, and I ask the right to swear this before the witnesses of this Circle. Sponsor (to the assembled circle): Will you stand witness to the oath given by this son/daughter/child of Magic? Witnesses/participants (other than Sponsor & Dedicant): We will with honor and gladness, if we might but be assured of his/her/their sincerity, for none but the truly certain may presume to make the honorable yet life changing choice of pledging themselves to Mother Magic. Sponsor: Will you prove yourself before these witnesses and our eternal Mother? Dedicant: I will. Sponsor: Proceed, in full knowledge of the significance of that which you are about to do. Dedicant: * (bow or curtsy as appropriate ''4 ''to the speaker as a proxy for the group and step behind the altar set just a few feet away, barely off center in the circle) * (EITHER 5 ** '' transfigure a needle and prick the index finger of the dominant hand OR '' ** use a ritual knife to cut the palm of the non-dominant hand, THEN ** with blood on the index finger of the dominant hand, trace the three runes carved into the white candle on the altar and will the runes to be charged with magic at which point they will glow) I make an offering of my very lifeblood, into which Mother Magic has seen fit to bestow her precious gift, that all may know the truthfulness and strength of my vow. Witnesses/participants (other than Sponsor & Dedicant): We are pleased and honored to stand witness to the Dedication of this honest and sincere son/daughter/child of Magic. Dedicant: * (light the red rune covered candle from either of the two white candles on the ends of the altar) I, name, do hereby pledge to serve and honor Magic. I will seek to understand the will of the eternal Mother and attempt to follow her desired path in all things. I will keep the traditions which honor Magic as she should be honored. I make this pledge in recognition and thanksgiving for the precious gift which has been granted me, and this I swear on my honor and for the honor of my blood through the ages and 6 forevermore. So mote it be. Sponsor: The pledge is witnessed. Another of Magic’s chosen children is Dedicated to her service in her honor. Congratulations and blessings to and middle name(s) on his/her/their path. Witnesses/participants (other than Sponsor & Dedicant): Blessed be! Special Considerations Planning a Dedication can become fairly complicated depending on the Dedicant's circumstances. Potential areas of complication include: # Selection of a Sponsor # Correct format for the ritual itself # Potential for logistical and/or legal issues depending on the political climate Selecting a Sponsor Selection of a Sponsor is straightforward if at least one of the parents is able and willing to fulfill the role, but if that is not the case the choice of a Sponsor is the first major decision which must be undertaken. If a parent’s participation is impossible, the mage performing the Dedication will ask another to speak for them in the role of sponsor. The person they ask should be someone they consider a mentor and ideally very nearly an additional parent type figure. It is an enormous honor to be selected to speak for the Dedication ritual of someone other than one's own child, and such a request would almost never be refused. This would only be done if the potential sponsor truly believes that the prospective Dedicant is completely unworthy to wield magic, which is usually considered disproven by the simple fact that the person has chosen to do the rites and honor Magic and the traditions of magical culture. To refuse to sponsor someone for dedication if requested is pretty much unheard of because of how close the existing relationship should be between the one performing their Dedication and the requested sponsor, but if such a refusal did happen it would be a grave insult likely to cause a rift between the families of the Dedicant and the declined Sponsor for generations to come. A sponsor other than a legal parent will have various responsibilities to their Foster Dedicant (sometimes alternatively referred to as a fosterling) dependent on the legal climate of society at the time. In magical contexts, the Sponsor can effectively act as an additional parent; spells or rituals requiring the participation of a parent would accept the Sponsor acting as such for their Foster Dedicant. Whether or not this relationship is recognized for legal purposes such as signing legally binding documents depends on whether the legal system of the jurisdiction in question gives legal status to relationships attested through wild Magic. (For example, the Ministry of Magic in all three of Queen Calista's known Harry Potter universe canons did not recognize the status of a Sponsor to their fosterling, but the Goblin Nation did and the majority of vampire clans tended to as well). Ritual Format There are several places where the ritual can be customized to best fit the preferences of the Dedicant. In the ritual text printed above, these portions are denoted with superscript numbers 1 through 6; see below for the corresponding notes: Note 1: When the Dedicant's name is called for, the name used should be what the Dedicant wishes to be their formal name. Someone who goes by a nickname should use the full version of their name, but there are some circumstances in which the name used in Dedication might appropriately differ from the legal name. Typical situations where this might apply include cases where the Dedicant has a chosen name very different from their birth name (for example, this applies to many people whose gender differs from the gender assigned to them at birth) or if the Dedicant has a very strong desire to drop a middle name with negative connotations (for example, if they're named after an abusive or toxic person). If the Dedicant has a very strong desire to cut any magical ties to their surname due to a negative family environment, they should be counseled about options prior to the Rite. Performing one's Dedication using the legal surname does not preclude a later decision to drop or change the name. The two basic options if use of the Dedicant's current legal surname is not desired are omitting the surname entirely, making the full name just the given name(s), or, if certain the decision is appropriate, it is possible to arrange prior to the Rite to have the right to use the surname of the Sponsor in magical contexts, including the Dedication. Note 2: In all cases where words with gendered connotations are used within the ritual, the word used should be the one which most accurately reflects the way the Dedicant would like to be publicly known (at least by the people present). Note 3: The phrase "by right of blood and" is omitted by muggleborn Dedicants but is generally retained by a Dedicant who is the child of at least one squib from a known magical line. In the case of a Dedicant who is the first member of their family in quite some time to have chosen to follow magical traditions, they are entitled to the use of this phrase even if their family members are widely considered blood traitors. Note 4: The choice between a bow or a curtsy generally has a gendered connotation and is thus left to the discretion of the Dedicant, who is free to choose whichever feels most authentic as a reflection of respect and formality. Note 5: Regarding the choice of methods for obtaining the blood used in the ritual, either option is acceptable. The only magic that may be used in the ritual is the Dedicant's own, so if they wish to use a needle to prick their finger for blood they must either be able to conjure/transfigure it themselves or they must ensure that one is placed on the alter when the ritual space is set up. If the Dedicant chooses to cut their palm, they should ideally know how to cut to an appropriate and safe depth (which might require practice beforehand); if this option is chosen, the cut may not be healed until the ritual is fully concluded and the candles have been extinguished. Some families do not feel that the first option offers enough of a blood sacrifice so their children will tend to choose the second option. Magic is known to accept both variants equally. Note 6: The phrase "through the ages and" is omitted by muggleborn Dedicants but is generally retained by a Dedicant who is the child of at least one squib from a known magical line. Magically-raised Dedicants from known blood traitor families are nevertheless entitled to the use of this phrase, as their family was likely an honorable magical line at some point in its past. Political Climate The question of what "dark" and "light" mean as descriptors of magic, as well as what constitutes each, is often a thorny issue. Many magical societies have a tendency to classify as "dark" anything which involves blood magic, in which case the Rite of Dedication would be considered dark. The extent to which this would be socially taboo or potentially carry undesirable consequences depends on the viewpoints and policies of the society in question. Mages with all three primary core orientations - light, dark, and gray - have been known to be able to safely complete Dedication, and participation in the Rite would have no ability of change the nature of one's magic. Some people, typically Progressives (aka politically "light" mages), claim that the Formation Rites are prejudiced against those born to non-magical parents. In the case of the Dedication Rite, this claim typically stems from either the fact that the Sponsor and participants must be magical - meaning that neither muggle nor squib parents can participate in their child's ritual - or the fact that there are two places within the ritual where the wording is changed for a Dedicant with no known magical heritage. People who do not consider the Rite prejudiced would argue that neither of these things discriminates against muggleborns or children of squibs nor presents them as inferior. The Sponsor and participants must be magical in order to fulfill the requirements of their roles, but since Sponsors and Witnesses/participants do not need to be immediate family this doesn't mean that people without magical heritage are barred from being Dedicated. Similarly, the wording of the ritual changes to accurately reflect the Dedicant's identity, including magical heritage, but this does not mean that the Dedication of someone without magical heritage is invalid or lesser. Since the wording of the Rite reveals the belief that ability to use magic is granted to people selected by the will of our Goddess, being the first in one's line to bear Her gift would, logically, be an honor provided that the one so honored uses their gift appropriately - and any muggleborn or squib-born mage who pursues the Formation Rites would certainly be seen by Traditionalists (aka politically "dark" mages) as properly honoring Lady Magic's gift.Category:Formation Rites